Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-12-21
Tariff Hniuuity.

Tariff HniQuity.
Give us free raw material and within
three months the machinery in every idle
mill iD New England will be set buzzing"
The speaker was Mr. Charlas NJ. Beach, q
digni6ed, gray haired business man, of Hart
ford, Conn.
For half century the firm of Beach 6,
Co., have held commanding position
among the business men of New England.
As merchants they have imported whatever
commodities we're in demand from foreign
countries. They have kept thoroughly
posted or all the markets of the world. All
the vexations of customs restrictions and
prohbitory tariffs are as familiar TO them as
TO the oldest attsche in the Treasury De
partment. As manufacturers Of wooden
goods they have become acquainted with all
the disadvantages which tue law making
branch of the government has p aced against
our home Industries.
During our early days we thought, as
many other manufacturers did, that protec-
ton was good thing. We thought it the
only thing TO enable US to make any money.
We have lived 10 see our mistake very
clearly. And" said Mr.. Beach, raising
hls voice. we now believe that the tariff,
taken as a whole, as it DOW works, s dead
against American interess, and especially
against the farming industry.
"As to the manufacture Of woollen goods,
let me say this We have big mill with
eighteen SETS OF machinery in i. Tor making
al! kinds of woolen stutf5. 1t cost, LOT US
say $3.50 600 1t is now closed down be
Cause we can't compete with foreigners ex-
cept at great loss-say loss OF SlO0OO0 o
year. Well If the present condition of
affairs continues we shall be glad to tear oil
the machinery out OF it and sell 1t for one
.hiro of its cost and then put the building
to other uses. No, sir; this tariff business
is anything but an unmiligated blessing TO
our people. But ours is not an isolated
case. Only the other day the Bennington
about $50 .000-yes, the whole thing, build.
ings, machiaery, everything, foc one aixth-
teenth OF their original price"
Here the senior partner, Mr. Geo. Beach,
| said: IF the people of the United States
knew what we know right here in this Office
of the workings Of the wool tariff, they
would have sent it to Hades long ago. 1
asked az English manufacturing agent who
was here the other day what he would do
f. if the present Guty were taken off wool and
| he promptly replied I'll bring all my ma
| chnery over ueFs Another manufacturer,
! from Bradford. EugiaUd, said: We want
you 10 leave tho iagiffnloue. 1t suits ps ex-
aclly. In fact ii we had had The making OF
the law we couldn't have done SO wei! for
Ourselves as you have done for u.s.
Before you proceed With your talk with
10Y brother, permit me to say that, as 8
merchant acquainted with ali markets ae
have 10 be 10 order TO keep up with the
times, l consider this wool trade as the
most oppressed and depressed OF any busi-
ness IN existence. Wool growers seem to
be as much muddled overit as the mass of
tte pubic. TIE statistics show that there
are 100000 farmers. OF these 1000 900
are SAID TO be wooIgrowers. These latter pro.
duce IL 600 900 sheep Presuming the cen
Sus figures are correct, this gives each farm
er forty four sheep. SuppOsing that the
average crop is 220 pounds from each flock,
we fnd the actual benefit to the Ohio farmer
from the protective tariff of ten cents a
pound is 81 20. Well The farmer goes to
town and buys suit for himself, and his
| son also, we will say, and he has to pay be-
tween sixty and seventy per cent. more for
the cloth than be would if he hadn't been
protected This is the actual working OF
the law in every day experience. The
farmer sells bis products on free trade,
competitive basis, and buys at nigh rates
under our remarkable system.
Another illustration. A brushmaker told
me the other day that in order TO protect
home industries prohbitory rate was made
on imported hog bristles. The laughable
feature of this is that our hog bristIes are
not long enough or strong enough to make
brushes-in fact, they are useless for the
purpose The government, however, would
shut out the only available material and
leave us the home production, which is
worl he S.
"One more point. The other day we re-
ceived an order for co ton goods for the
English market through a London house.
Why were we able to execute such an order
at {. profit to all concerned? Because we
can command the raw material at or about
the same rate as Euglishmen do, and with
our superior skilled labor aud improved
machinery make better article than they
can. Draw your own conclusions, then.
what we can do in other branches ii we Sc
cure free material. ."-Ne,O York Herald.
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Eot-- o{ton 80 tha lioht of the hni1snnol6